Related Summaries

Undergoing low-level laser therapy six times in two weeks helped participants with voluminous fat deposits in the waist, hips and thighs attain a circumferential mean reduction of 3.27 inches one week after the treatment, researchers reported in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

The FDA has approved for marketing two noninvasive "fat blasters" that developers say can zap fat with little pain. Zeltig's CoolSculpting device kills fat cells with coldness, and Zerona's cool laser punctures the membranes of fat cells to let the fat escape. However, one expert said the long-term health consequences are not known.

The U.S. Court of Appeals moved to temporarily allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research while a judge's recent order to ban such research is considered. A spokesman for the Justice Department said they were "pleased with the court's interim ruling, which will allow this important, lifesaving research to continue while we present further arguments to the court in the weeks to come."

Wound care management company Diversified Clinical Services awarded the Norman Regional Health System's Hyperbaric and Wound Care Center its Center of Distinction award for the second year in a row. The award is based on patient satisfaction and outcomes.

Devices from Erchonia Medical and Zeltiq Aesthetics, which rely on lasers and controlled cooling respectively, might allow doctors to attack fatty trouble spots without the need of more invasive procedures such as liposuction. Both companies have submitted data to the FDA, but neither system has received approval for use in fat reduction. However, doctors are permitted to use devices for off-label uses, and in the case of these, many already have begun using them for such procedures. A plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, who hasn't used either device, said after reviewing Erchonia's clinical study, he has concerns with the methodology.